The Return
by storycat12
Summary: What if Lily and James show up exactly three years after they died and save Harry from the Dursleys? Things are now looking up for the four year old! Join Lily, James, and Sirius watch Harry grow into a modest, brave, young man! WARNING ABUSE MENTIONED!
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter knew how it felt to be neglected, starved, and beat. He knew how to cook at age four and was cleaning at age three. Ever since he was a baby, he slept in the cupboard under the stairs. Harry lived with his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. They had a son named Dudley, who was only older than Harry by a few months. Harry's parents had died when he was only a baby and he had been sent to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house. All four of them were unhappy with this arrangement. Therefore, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon made Harry cook and clean. He was beaten if he didn't get his chores done within a time limit. Poor Harry was beat every night because he was only four. Harry was also more mature for his age, but still was a child. He acted more like a six year old than a four year old. That didn't stop him from feeling hurt. The poor boy was only four and was incapable of doing something so impossible, an adult couldn't do it.

One night after a particularly horrible beating, Harry lay awake. He watched the spiders crawl around on the ceiling of the small cupboard and cried silently. He wished someone would just come and take him away. He wished his mommy and daddy were alive. He wished he could be anywhere but here. He even wished he had died with his parents. It wasn't fair. His mommy and daddy were dead and he was stuck living with the most horrible people on Earth. They hated him. Harry turned over and winced. The bruises and cuts were worse this time. He knew he was bleeding but he didn't do anything. He allowed the tears to fall down his face and listened to the loud snores of his uncle. He was stuck in here. His tummy was rumbling because he hadn't eaten in a day. Uncle Vernon had locked him up in the cupboard with no meals after he had burned the bacon on Dudley's birthday yesterday. Uncle Vernon had taken him out for a beating and then locked him back in.

Harry had just dozed off when he heard it. There were quiet footsteps walking in front of his door. He cowered on the corner of his bed with the covers wrapped firmly around him. They didn't actually keep him warm or safe but they were all he had. The blankets were filled with holes and dirty. They were probably the same blankets he had used as a baby. But they were the only thing he had so he just dealt with them. The door creaked open and a man with messy black hair and hazel eyes stood there with his head ducked. Behind him, Harry saw a woman with red hair and bright green eyes and a man with dirty black hair and gray eyes. The man who had opened the door smiled at him.

"It's alright Harry; I won't hurt you. Now come on, we're going to get you as far away from here as we can." Harry stared at him. There was something familiar about his voice.

"Daddy?" The man nodded and Harry ran into his arms, crying. James Potter hugged his son tightly and Lily Potter walked over to them and wrapped her arms around the two.

"Mommy?" Harry asked when he saw Lily. Lily nodded and squeezed him affectionately. Sirius Black stood to the side, watching with a slight smile on his face. When Lily and James appeared, alive and healthy, he nearly had a heart attack. They bailed him out of Azkaban and they went here to get Harry. Now they just had to get him home.

The lights turned on from upstairs and loud footsteps were heard. Harry whimpered and hid in his parents' arms. Vernon Dursley came running downstairs with a rifle in hand. His wife cowered behind him, hugging Dudley.

"Who are you? And you, boy, get back in your cupboard!" Uncle Vernon yelled and raised his hand as if to smack the boy. Harry whimpered again and started towards the cupboard, but his parents held him back. Lily picked the little boy up and glared at her sister and brother-in-law. James stood and glowered at them too.

"How dare you? How dare you make my son sleep in the cupboard? I never did anything to you, Tuney! So how could you treat my son like this?" Lily cried, holding her son to her chest. Harry buried his head into her shoulder and she could feel his tears soaking into her shirt. Somehow, that just made her even madder.

James laid his hand on her arm to keep her from yelling some more. He nodded towards Harry's trembling form and she sighed. The important thing here was that he no longer had to live in these conditions.

"We're leaving. Harry will come with us. By the way, I'll be seeing you in court," James growled. Petunia and Vernon paled. Sirius, James, and Lily apparated with Lily still holding Harry. They were at 12 Grimauld **(AN: spelling?) **Place, Sirius's childhood home. It wasn't the best place in the world but it would do. They took a now sleeping Harry inside and laid him down on the nearest couch. They gathered some blankets and pillows and slept near that couch, afraid to go farther into the house. The four slept heavily and didn't wake until morning.

oOo

Lily woke earlier than everyone else. Sirius was curled up on the couch across from her and James was curled up next to her, on the floor. Harry was sleeping on the couch next to the couple. Lily smiled. He was so beautiful. He was her little four year old. She still couldn't believe she had missed three years of his life, all of which he spent being tortured. She cursed Petunia and Vernon Dursley for doing that to her baby. He was her baby. She wouldn't allow anything to happen to her baby.

One moment, Harry was sleeping peaceful and the next, he's thrashing about and screaming.

"Please, no! Please! Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!" Lily got up quickly and picked him up.

"Shh… It's alright, Harry. I'm here, don't worry." Lily held him close and he stopped thrashing and began to relax. He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and she brushed away the tears that had begun to fall.

"Mommy, they hurt me. They beat me, Mommy. They say you don't love me." She hugged him closer.

"They're wrong, Harry. I love you very much. Now, be quiet. You don't want to worry Daddy, now do you?" He shook his head and smiled at Lily who smiled in return. Her smile grew into a grin as she said, "Would you like to help me wake up Daddy and Uncle Padfoot?" He nodded eagerly and Lily pulled out her wand. She waved it and water burst down onto James. He jumped and looked around wildly. Lily just laughed and placed Harry on top of Sirius.

Harry crawled towards Sirius's ear and yelled, "Up, Padfoot, up!" Sirius jumped and Lily caught Harry laughing. She grinned at the two Marauders who were either soaked or holding his hands to his ear. They stared at her and James started towards her with a wicked grin and wide arms.

"Come here, my beautiful wife, and give me a hug!" He wrapped his arms around Lily who shrieked and pulled away. James chased Lily into the kitchen and back into the living room. She giggled and hid behind Sirius who ducked away from her. They continued this charade until Harry claimed he was hungry.

Lily smiled, heading into the kitchen and quickly making some pancakes and bacon. The four ate and then headed to Hogwarts. Things were about to get interesting.

**Whoo! Cliffy! The next chapter is about more people finding out about Lily and James. I hope you like this and I'm very sorry for those of you who are still waiting for my other stories to be updated. In a New Light should have a new chapter next week or the next and my Percy Jackson story, I'm putting on hold. I've been reading too much Harry Potter to write Percy Jackson. So, I'm very sorry but I have no inspiration. If you have any suggestions, I'll be glad to hear. And, if you'd like to adopt the story, I might consider allowing you to. Just PM me your ideas and I'll consider it. Thanks to all of my wonderful readers! You're all awesome!**

**Peace,**

**storycat12**


	2. Explaining Things

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk in the early hours of the day. All of the students were either asleep or at Quidditch practice. Some may be catching up on homework before Monday. It was just the usual Saturday, the day after Halloween. Three years from yesterday, Lily and James Potter died. Last night, after the feast, Dumbledore had gone to visit their graves. He had heard a crack by their old house, but whoever it was, was gone. He felt bad for Harry. He would have to be raised by his aunt and uncle, who didn't like magic. But there was nothing he could do about it. They were his only family.

A knock sounded at the headmaster's door. "Come in!" Three adults came in wearing cloaks. One of them was holding a small child. The child looked up at Dumbledore with bright green eyes and dark hair that covered half of a lightning bolt scar. It was Harry Potter. That made him more curious to see who the mysterious people behind the cloaks were.

Dumbledore rose from his seat and said politely, "And who are you?"

The one holding the child stepped forward and pulled down the hood of their cloak. A woman with red hair and green eyes, just as bright as Harry's, stood there with a smile. The other two stepped forward also. One had messy black hair, much like Harry's, and hazel eyes. The other had black hair and dark gray eyes. All three looked familiar and all three shouldn't be there. Two of them should be dead and the other should be in Azkaban.

"Hello Albus. And, before you claim he isn't, Sirius is innocent. We need your help to prove this however," Lily Potter said and James Potter and Sirius Black nodded. Dumbledore nodded, allowing them to tell him the truth. He would hear them out. "Sirius wasn't our Secret Keeper. Peter was. We switched them when we realized Voldemort would go after Sirius first. No one would think it was cowardly Peter Pettigrew." Her voice was filled with disgust. "Of course, we were wrong. Voldemort apparently had the same idea and got a hold of Peter. Peter was the one who betrayed us."

Dumbledore frowned. "Alright, but Peter Pettigrew is dead, correct?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, he isn't. You know how we're Animagus? Well, Peter is a rat. When I cornered him, he panicked. Deciding he would yell out how I betrayed them, he killed thirteen people, cut his finger off, and transformed into a rat. I was the only one standing there so of course, I was the one who got blamed."

Dumbledore nodded. It all made sense. "So, Sirius is innocent. But how did the two of you come back to life? And, how did Sirius get out of Azkaban?"

James stepped forward. "We got Sirius out of Azkaban. We used money to bail him out. It took awhile, but in the end, it worked. Now, the part about how we came back, I'm not entirely sure. When I died, I came to in a white room. To me, it looked sort of like King's Cross. Lily appeared next to me and we waited for Harry to come. He never did. We tried to get out, thinking that we needed out. We kept saying and thinking that we had to get out. It was like it was our job. For so long, we felt regret, anger, and guilt. We regretted making Peter our Secret Keeper. We were angry that he betrayed us. We felt guilty because we thought we had left Harry in the care of Sirius. We didn't think he'd be ready. He had lost his best friends and now he had to take care of a child. The thing we never felt or thought was that we _wanted _to go back. When we finally thought that, we appeared in Godric's Hallow. We found an old newspaper saying that Sirius Black was in Azkaban. We got him out and went to Privet Drive and got Harry."

Dumbledore blinked. This was probably the most surprising setup ever. "If you don't mind, I'd like to question you three. May I?" The three nodded. "Sirius, James, turn into your Animagus animals. Lily, where did you get the name Harry from?"

James turned into a stag and Sirius turned into a dog while Lily answered, "I got the name when Harry was born with hair and Sirius said that he was all hairy. I thought the name Harry would work perfectly."

Dumbledore nodded his approval. He smiled at the four. They were who they said they were. Only Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, and he himself knew where they had gotten the name Harry from. No one could copy an Animagus form, not even with a spell or potion.

"Welcome back, Lily, James. I will make sure that everyone knows you are innocent, Sirius. In the meantime, you might want to go find Remus. He would want to know that you are back and you are innocent." They nodded and started out.

oOo

Remus's flat was small. It was in the middle of the woods and no one lived there for miles around. This helped him not attack anyone during his transformation. Transformations were much harder than when he had the Marauders with him. Now, two of them were dead and one of them was a mass murderer. He was all alone now. He was alone during transformations and every other day. He hated this. The Ministry wouldn't let him have a job because he was a werewolf and his family was dead. He lived alone, wallowing in loneliness and pain. That was why he was so surprised when the doorbell rang.

"Yes?" Remus asked as he opened the door. His eyes widened and he stared in shock at who was before him. Lily and James Potter were there holding their now four year old son, Harry Potter. Behind them was Sirius Black, the man who betrayed them. Remus yanked out his wand and pointed it at Sirius. To his surprise, Sirius didn't even move to pull out his wand. He just stared at his friend with pained eyes. He didn't even pull the puppy-dog eyes that he usually would have made to get his way. He just stared at him with eyes so filled up with pain that Remus wouldn't have been surprised if he started crying right there. He knew Sirius had lost everything that night, but he had still betrayed his best friends. It was too much.

"Remus, stop!" James yelled, jumping in front of Sirius. "Calm down, and let us explain." Remus narrowed his eyes but nodded allowed them in.

"Moony!" Harry cried and squirmed out of his mother's grip. He ran up to 'Moony' and hugged him. Remus smiled at him and hugged him back. He had missed the little boy.

"Hey Prongslet, how've you been?" Harry looked up at him and turned his head to the side.

"Horrible, until Mommy and Daddy showed up. And Padfoot showed up too, and they saved me from a horrible place." Remus was surprised at how well the four-year-old spoke. He seemed much older than he actually was. He sat down across from Lily, James, and Sirius. Harry looked around and sat slowly on the floor. Lily frowned and called him over. Harry got up and came to her. She pulled him onto her lap and he snuggled in. James explained to Remus everything that they had explained to Dumbledore. Pretty soon, Remus was sitting there in shock.

"Okay, I believe you. I'm sorry Sirius. I didn't know. I'm sorry." Sirius waved off the apology.

"It's alright, you didn't know. I'm sorry we didn't tell you." They smiled at each other and turned to Lily and James.

"So, what's next? Where are you guys going to live? Is everything going to go back to how it was before?" Sirius asked. They shrugged.

"Well, I know one thing. You two are welcome to stay with us. We can get a house near the woods for Remus and one in the Muggle world until Sirius is cleared. Plus, it might help with keeping Harry from his fame," James said. Lily nodded and smiled at the two. They were like brothers to James and uncles to Harry. She thought of them as brothers also and thought it would be a good thing for Harry to grow up with them. The two Marauders smiled back. They would love to live with the small family. It would help with Remus's loneliness and his inability to find a job.

"Yeah, and Moony can get a job in the Muggle world and we wouldn't be so lonely," Sirius said slowly.

James stood. "Alright, it's settled. We will now go looking for a house!" They cheered and got up.

**Okay, so there you have it! That's how Lily and James came back! I wanted it to be like when Harry had been 'killed' in the Deathly Hallows. Remember how he had a choice? He had to choose whether he wanted to go back or wanted to stay. Lily and James felt like they had to but never thought that they wanted to. Now, they're back and are searching for a house! By the way, the first few chapters will have lots of explaining and I'm sorry. It's the only way to explain how they're back. The later chapters will have lots of family filled fun! Thought, Harry is still going to be a bit subdued. He's still used to being told he was a freak who didn't belong in this world.**

**Thanks for the reviews! They made my day! Thanks for reading my story too!**

**storycat12**


	3. Finding the Perfect House

"Why can't we just live in the Potter mansion? I hate shopping for houses! Why did I ever think this was a good idea?" Sirius cried, waving his arms in the air in a dramatic gesture. Lily rolled her eyes. This was getting annoying.

"Because," she said through gritted teeth, "I don't want Harry growing a big head, especially when his father already has one. And, as I'm Muggle-born, I would prefer for my child to grow up in the Muggle world." James looked slightly offended with the big head gibe but didn't say anything when Lily sent him a look that dared him to reprehend it. The only one who seemed somewhat happy was Harry. He was walking cheerfully down the streets, licking an ice cream cone he had asked for. It turned out that he had only had ice cream once when Dudley dropped his. Vernon had made Harry eat it to torture the little boy but all it did was give Harry a chance to try ice cream.

"Mommy, why not look at the house down there? There's a sign that says there is a house for sale with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and three stories," Harry said pointing towards a sign that said just that and led to a house. It seemed to have just appeared there. Lily hadn't seen that earlier. She stared at her son. How could he have seen something she hadn't? And how can he read if he's only four? She shook her head and smiled at him.

"I didn't notice that sign, Harry. You're right, we should check it out." With that, she led them to the house, with Sirius whining and James pouting from the big head remark. Needless to say, they got quite a bit of weird looks. They walked up to the house and looked at it. It was fairly large with a forest behind it. The house was beautiful to. It was a white house with a stone walkway and large grounds. There was a small pond in front of the house with fish swimming around in it. The shingles on the roof were gray and black and the windows were large, with double pane glass. They went inside and looked around. Sure enough, there were five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and three stories. The living room was spacious and the dining room had a chandelier. The kitchen was fairly large and it already came with a refrigerator and stove. There was a built in microwave and a pantry in the back. Upstairs, the bedrooms were large. There were walk-in closets and two of them had their own bathroom.

Everyone loved it. It was a wonderful house with plenty of room for Harry to run and play Quidditch. The house was hidden by protective charms, though not like the ones that had been placed on the Potter cottage three years ago. Muggles wouldn't see anything but normal things and the wizards and witch could live in peace. Everything was perfect and Lily voiced this immediately.

"I agree with Lily-Flower. This place is magnificent!" Sirius said and Lily glared at him for calling her Lily-Flower.

"Don't call me that! And, do we all agree on buying this place and living here? I noticed a school in town that's hiring so Remus and I can get jobs there. Sirius and James can continue to work with the Aurors **(AN: spelling again?) **so we'll all have jobs!" They nodded still in shock at how wonderful this house was. They started to call the realtor when there was a crack. Someone entered the home with Dumbledore.

"Well I'm sorry, okay? I needed to search for them! I never quit my job, nor did I die! I'm still an Auror and in the Order!" the person exclaimed. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Alright, Andrea. I believe you. I do want you to see a few people that will brighten you day." Andrea Potter shook her head, sadly.

"I highly doubt that. Ever since James and Lily died and Sirius went to Azkaban, I haven't had a good day. I wish you had let Sirius and I take in Harry. He is our godson, you know. Plus, it would've kept Sirius out of Azkaban."

"Well, I'm afraid Harry won't be coming to, live with you. He has to be with James and me. It only makes sense that he stays with his parents. Though, you may live with us," Lily said, amused. Andrea's head shot up and she stared at them. Then she squealed and hugged them. They laughed and hugged her back. When she got to Sirius, she hugged him tightly. Then she pulled back and whacked his arm.

"You shouldn't have gone after Pettigrew! You know how hard it was to be all alone? It was horrible! I had to live without my brother and sister-in-law already! And then you go and land yourself in Azkaban! We never even got to get married! Don't ever do anything that stupid again!" Sirius laughed and pulled her in for another hug.

"Sorry, Rea. Besides, what about Izzy? She should've kept you company." Andrea choked on a sob.

"Izzy's dead. She died the day after you landed yourself in Azkaban. I lost everything, Padfoot. And I had to live without everyone I ever loved for three years. I spent most of time looking for ex-Death Eaters. Some insisted on being put under _Imperio _while others continued to torture Muggles and Muggle-borns. That was how Izzy died. She was killed by one of those rogue Death Eaters." Sirius held her tighter. He felt bad for his fiancée. She truly had lost everything. Imagine losing your parents, brother, sister-in-law, nephew, best friend, and fiancé all in a year. Then place one of your best friends betraying you at the top and think about it feels. Remus probably ignored her because of who she was associated to. She had been about to marry the person he thought was a mass murderer and was probably thought to have helped him. But that wouldn't make any sense. James was her brother. Most would've said she was jealous of him but she wasn't. She chose to be invisible in school. She allowed people to say things about her. She didn't care. She loved her brother very much. She would never help someone kill him. Others probably thought she was dead. If she had disappeared to go after Death Eaters, then she probably seemed to drop off the face of the Earth. She probably chose to do that too. It was her way of coping with life, to disappear. That was her way of saying she was hurting.

They pulled apart and smiled at each other. Sirius caught James's eye and he nodded. "You know, Rea, we've been engaged for over three years now and I'm not waiting any longer to get married. Would you like to live with us?" Andrea smiled brightly and nodded, her eyes sparkling.

"Gladly." They laughed and it was decided that Andrea would take over the fifth bedroom until she and Sirius married. Then, it would just be a guest room or a bedroom if Sirius and Andrea had any kids.

They started transfiguring random things into furniture and stuff and getting any of the stuff that had survived in Godric's Hallow. By that night, they were moved in. Lily took Harry to his new room after he had been given a bath and had him pick out a bedtime story. Lily read it to him until his eyes drifted close and his breathing slowed. Lily smiled and put down the book. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead and made sure he was tucked in. Then she left the room and headed to her and James's room. She changed into her pajamas and curled up next to her husband. She smiled as she fell asleep. Everything was perfect, she thought as she listened to her husband's snores.

**I hope you liked the first day of them being a family! And, for those of you who have read my other story, In a New Light, Andrea is James's younger sister. She is 22 in this story, for she was two years younger and three years passed. It's a bit of a spoiler alert for In a New Light. Later, Andrea and Sirius start dating! Just a bit of a spoiler alert because I didn't want you thinking I'd leave Sirius to be alone like he is the books! Thanks for the reviews and keep reading!**

**Peace,**

**storycat12**


	4. Chapter 4

Footsteps echoed through the empty halls. Two voices rang out in the quiet castle. Six people made their way up to the Headmaster's office. There were a total of eight people in the castle at the moment. Classes were out for the summer and only the Headmaster and the Potions professor had stayed. Others were out on vacation or just at home. The six only knew of the Headmaster being there and that was who they needed to see. They had no idea what surprises awaited them when they finally reached the office.

"I cannot believe you got us lost, Sirius! Do you want to remain a deadly convict forever? We're trying to get you cleared and you're taking us on fake shortcuts! That's how you repay us? I have half a mind to turn around now and allow you to be feared and placed in Azkaban every time you leave the house! So shut up and let me lead!" Lily shrieked. Sirius shrunk back. An angry Lily Evans Potter is a disaster just waiting to explode in your face. Harry hid behind his father who picked him up.

"Calm down, Lily-Flower, you're scaring Harry. Let's just get this over with and go home. Oh and Padfoot, let Lily lead. She'll get us there faster than you can. She knows the castle about as well as we do," James said with a sigh. The two glared at each other before nodding and continuing on. They walked in silence and were soon in Albus Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore looked at the six in amusement. "I assure you got here without any problems?" Lily glared at Sirius while the other looked like they were about to burst into a fit of laughter any moment.

Remus hid a smile. "I guess you heard those two arguing?" James snorted.

"Come on, I bet people in London heard those two. It's impossible to not hear them, especially in an empty castle. No one's here and it's quiet until you get them in an argument. Suddenly, all peace and tranquility is gone!" Harry burst out in laughter. James grinned at him. Even Lily had to smile at Harry. They rarely heard Harry laugh, which was understandable. How could you laugh after being drained of all happiness and being forced to do things no other kid does? It was impossible! Therefore, they smiled when Harry did laugh.

Sirius placed his hand over his heart in a mock surprise gesture. "Did-did Prongs just say a big word? I can't believe it! Prongs, how could you? How could you betray me by speaking in perfect grammar and saying big words?" 'Prongs' just rolled his eyes.

"Why don't we move on to the matters at hand, shall we?" Dumbledore said, breaking the amusing scene. "I have a guest here that might be of help in convincing the Ministry of your innocence, Sirius. He is very good at reading other people's minds. Severus, you may come out now." Severus Snape came out of the shadows and their heads snapped up. James and Sirius were glaring at Snape. Remus looked startled and Lily looked shocked. Andrea was frowning. Harry looked around curiously but didn't ask who he was. He figured he shouldn't be the one to break the tense silence. The four-year-old fidgeted in his mother's lap and looked slightly unsure.

Finally, Harry decided someone should speak. "Mommy, what's wrong? Who is he?" Lily snapped out of her shocked trance and looked down at her son.

"Nothing, Harry, everything is fine. That's Severus Snape and you better remember to _be nice_." She glared at James and Sirius, the former dropping his glare to the floor while the latter continued to glare at the greasy haired man. Snape's head snapped to where Lily and Harry sat and something flashed through his eyes. For a moment, he looked longing before he began to glare at the child. Harry squirmed in his seat but met the man's glare with an innocent stare. His bright green eyes met Snape's dark black ones and he looked slightly confused.

"Mr. Snape, sir? What's wrong? I didn't do anything, right? Sorry," Harry said and looked down at the floor. Severus Snape looked startled at the child's reaction. He didn't glare or say something mean. He apologized when he didn't even know what he did wrong. Maybe the child had more of Lily in him then James. He may look like his father but he acted like his mother. His eyes were the same innocent green eyes his mother had. This pained Snape in many ways than one. It reminded him of what he had lost. He had lost Lily Evans. Now she was Lily Potter and had a son. Even worse, she was married to _Potter_. The arrogant boy she had always hated. Now he didn't seem quite as arrogant but quite obedient. At least, he had taken Lily's implied message.

"There is nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry," Snape said, managing to keep the sneer out of his voice. James's head snapped up and he stared at the man with a new respect. Snape had never seemed like he would apologize to anyone, much less the child of his enemy. But there he was, saying he was sorry for worrying the child. Harry seemed to relax and smiled at Snape, who couldn't help but feel the sides of his mouth quirk up in a slight smile. Lily brightened and everyone but Sirius relaxed. Sirius couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. This was Snape! The man who was a Death Eater and had hurt Lily so long ago! How could they relax and smile at him when he had done all of those things? He had told Voldemort about the prophecy! He had practically sold them out to Voldemort and they were acting like he was an old friend, which for Lily was true.

Sirius jumped up and pulled out his wand. Pointing it at Snape, he narrowed his eyes and was about to hex him when Lily Disarmed him. He glared at her. "How could you guys just sit there like you're in the presence of an old friend? He's a freaking Death Eater! He told Lord Moldyshorts about the prophecy and was practically the reason why you were betrayed!" Sirius yelled. Snape looked at him with an emotionless expression.

"I could say the same thing about you, Black. If I remember correctly, you were the one who betrayed them, or so they say. You were the one that spent the last few years in Azkaban, correct?" Snape snapped. Harry was frowning now. He was only four but was far smarter than he let on. He looked between the two and realized quickly that a fight was about to start. He had to act fast. Quietly, he slipped off his mother's lap. When she saw what he was doing, she decided to keep quiet. Harry crept behind Snape and pulled out his wand and grabbed Sirius's wand. He then grabbed some string and tied Sirius's hands together. He knew his godfather enough to know that he would start a fist fight if he had to. Harry climbed back onto his mother's lap and kept the wands hidden.

"I'm not a Death Eater! I've never been a Death Eater nor will I ever be one! You are one and I'm not just going to sit here in the presence of one!" Sirius yelled and reached for his wand. He came up with empty air and looked around, panicking. Suddenly, he stopped and turned slowly towards Snape, his eyes blazing.

"You stole my wand, didn't you?" he said slowly. Snape rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yes, Black, I somehow managed to reach into your pockets and steal your wand while you were yelling at me," Snape replied drily. He rolled his eyes again. "No, I did not take your wand. I don't even have mine," he added, frowning deeply. He checked both of his pockets but still couldn't find it. They looked at James and Andrea but they just frowned and shook their heads, looking as confused as Sirius and Snape. They turned to Harry and Lily. The latter shook her head while the former looked away. Sirius sighed.

"Harry, give me my wand." Harry shook his head.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please?"

"NO!"

Lily laughed. When Harry yelled, everyone had jumped and stared at the little boy. He flushed and turned away but still wouldn't give them their wands. Snape sighed, knowing he would never get his wand back with the pace they were going.

"Listen, I'll give you something and I'll promise I won't fight with your godfather if you just give me my wand back. I also promise to help restore your godfather's innocence. Do we have a deal?" Snape asked, in a surprisingly kind voice. Harry frowned and looked at him in interest.

"What will you give me?" Snape thought for a moment.

"Well, what do you want?" Harry just shrugged. Snape thought about what four-year-old boys like. "Would you like a big thing of chocolate frogs? Would you like a broom or some Quidditch supplies?"

Harry's eyes lit up. "Broom!" Snape sighed and nodded. Harry pulled out Snape's wand and handed it to him and Snape conjured a broomstick and gave it to the young child. Harry went to James and handed it to him, knowing he couldn't use it right now. James made it smaller and placed it in his pocket before pulled the child onto his lap. Sirius's mouth dropped as he looked between Snape and Harry. He then looked at Harry with pleading eyes. Harry shook his head, gleeful at holding something over his godfather and having a broomstick.

"No-o, Padfoot!" Harry said, dragging out the o. James smirked. Lily sighed and looked to Dumbledore.

"I think we've gotten a bit off topic. Why don't we just get this over with?" They nodded.

oOo

They finished with the interrogation at Hogwarts and at the Ministry and went home. Harry still had Sirius's wand and James now had some respect for Snape. He had actually been nice to Harry. James was thinking about maybe putting their differences aside and possibly becoming acquaintances or, god forbid, friends. Maybe it was time to stop the petty feuds. Maybe it was time to get rid of the childhood enemies and become friends. What happened in the Headmaster's office had really given James something to think about.

Everyone was saying goodnight to Harry. He was hugged by Sirius and Remus. Andrea and Lily hugged and kissed him, and James hugged him and kissed the top of his head. Just as he was heading to his room, Sirius called out to him.

"Please?"


	5. Chapter 5

Lily Potter was up in the early hours of the morning. She was sitting on the couch, staring out the window. She couldn't sleep. Nightmares about her and James's death plagued her every time she closed her eyes. She couldn't help it. That's what happens when you die and come back.

A noise came in the direction of the bedrooms and Lily jumped. Turning, she saw Harry standing there. His eyes were bright with tears and he looked scared.

"Mommy? I had a bad dream," he said tearfully. Lily nodded.

"So did I, Harry. So did I," she said and opened her arms. He ran into them and cried. Lily took him to her and James's room. The sun still hadn't come up but it was only a matter of time. James stirred when they lay down but he smiled and allowed Harry to curl up next to him. Lily was still awake as Harry fell into a deep slumber.

She rolled over and smiled as she watched her husband and child. They were so sweet and peaceful. Everything was peaceful here. They had a house, Severus was being nice to her and her son, James was attempting to put away all the childishness, and she was living with her family. She smiled once more before falling asleep.

oOo

Light flooded through the windows. A little boy awoke with his parents still asleep next to him. Harry yawned and looked around with bright eyes. At first, he was confused as to why he wasn't in his room but then he remembered the events from earlier this morning.

He looked up when someone walked into the room. Andrea stood in the doorway, looking at the small family of three with a smile on her face. She waved at Harry when she realized he was watching her.

"Hello Harry. Did you sleep well with your mummy and daddy?" This only brought tears into his eyes as he thought of his dream. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did you have a nightmare? You know, if you tell me, it might be easier."

Harry crawled out of bed and walked over to her. They went into the living room. Andrea sat down and patted her lap for Harry to sit. He sat down and looked at her with his wide, bright green eyes.

"I dreamt Mommy and Daddy were being killed by an evil person. He tried to m-mu-mu –"

"Murder," Andrea offered helpfully. He nodded.

"Yeah, that. He tried to on my mummy and daddy!" Harry cried. Andrea pulled him into hug and rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I really am. I should've been there to protect you and your parents. I should've been there to take you in, instead of those dreadful Dursleys. I really am sorry."

"It's not your fault. I should've held him off long enough for Lily to get Harry away. So don't blame yourself; it's me that should be blamed," James said, walking in.

"No, James. I should've fled when you told me to. I was just so scared. It's neither of your faults; it's mine," Lily said, walking in after him.

"It's neither of your faults. It's –"

"Don't you dare say it's your fault! It's none of your faults. If it's anyone's fault, it's Voldemort's. So quit blaming yourself; it's not your fault!" Remus yelped. They looked down at their feet, ashamed. Harry squirmed in his seat on Andrea's lap.

"Moony is right. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. Why do you think it's your fault? What happened?" Harry asked. His voice was sweet and innocent.

"Nothing, sweetie. Come on, let's get some breakfast," Lily said, scooping him up in her arms and taking him into the kitchen. The others followed.

"Hey, Harry, I was wondering if you can give me my wand back. Pretty please, Harry?" Sirius pleaded.

"Okay," Harry said and pulled it out of his sleeve. He tossed it to Sirius, who caught it and waved it. Sparks flew out and he grinned.

"Thank you, Harry. By the way, we'll make a Marauder of you soon!" Sirius cried.

"NOOO!" Lily screamed.

**Sorry for the late update. I've been really busy. And sick. I hate colds. Anyways, I really am sorry. Try not to send too many flames. Hope you like this chapter! I went for an angst-y, family scene. Think I did well? Review if I did! **


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